Feeling the cold yet? Winter is coming, and so are the holidays—which make for some pretty great deals to round out the end of the year.
Every month, we look back at the best times to buy anything during the year, and pull out items each month to remind you what's coming. Obviously, none of this is to say you should go on a shopping spree—but if you've been holding off for a lower price on something, these are the things that get the sale treatment in December. And if you're shopping today, be sure to check out the best Cyber Monday deals available right now.
All Autumn
- Cars: New car models come out in the summer, which makes the end of the year a great time to buy a car—as long as you're willing to get last year's model, say Consumer Reports,Bankrate, and Dealnews. Deals should be even better in October than they were in September. Make sure it's not better for you to lease a car instead of buy, and if you're looking to get a good deal, you can save some money by haggling or (if you're evil)screwing with the car salesmen.
- Cookware & Kitchen Accessories: Anyone who's walked into a mall in October knows that the holidays get earlier and earlier every year, which means the sales start now! Cookware is one of the more popular things to start early say Bankrate and Dealnews, so check out Consumer Reports' cookware buying guide, our five must-have kitchen tools, and give your kitchen a makeover.
- Digital Cameras: Cameras see some nice deals early in the year, but if you need one now, you'll probably see another round of deals coming off the latest announcements. According to Digital Photography School and Digital Camera HQ, check out older models for a lower price.
- Gas Grills and Air Conditioners: Just like in September, most stores are trying to get rid of their summer gear. As Forbes says, no one wants to store the stuff no one is buying—it's cheaper to just sell it at a discount. So if you have the space to store it, stock up on your grills, air conditioners, and other summer-only items now.
- Plants: Most plants aren't going to survive the harsh winter ahead, but if you have an indoor garden or greenhouse going on, Real Simple and Dealnews recommend picking up your new plants cheaply as the weather starts to cool down.
- Toys & Games: Places like Toys R Us are starting to ramp up their holiday sales, sonow's a good time to get kids' stuff at a discount—whether for Christmas gifts or not.
- Wedding Supplies: As beautiful as it is, winter isn't exactly prime wedding season for most people, which means planning one gets a lot easier. Find a venue, negotiate services, and buy or rent supplies for much less as the fall and winter go on say Bankrate andDealnews. Just don't go overboard—you can do a lot of trimming on your wedding budgetif you know where to look.
December
- Champagne: New Year's is coming up, and that means champagne is actually going to get cheaper, according to Sharon Castillo, director of the Office of Champagne USA. In this case, the high demand means companies are trying to undercut their competitors to sell more during this peak time.
- Golf Clubs: As you might expect, it's not exactly the best month to go play a round of 18 holes, so golf clubs are going to be on sale right now. New England Golf Monthly points out that they'll probably be last year's models, so you won't be getting the absolute latest and greatest, but if you're hunting for a deal, now's the time.
- Pools: You may not be looking to go for a dip in the cold winter, but it's a good time to get that pool set up for summer. A number of pool installers have blogged about the fact that winter is the best time to buy a pool, mainly because no one else is buying them, so they need to keep prices down in order to keep up work. And, since they're doing so much less work in the winter, it's often of higher quality, too.
- Televisions & Other Electronics: You should see sales continue after Black Friday and through the holidays. Though if you can wait, February is probably a better time than now to buy that new TV.
- Tools: Like we said last month, tools are on sale during the holiday season. If you shop around, you can probably find some good holiday sales on tools, so it's a good time to buy—particularly if you want to winterize your home before the cold really sets in. Check out our guide to stocking the perfect toolbox and our list of the DIY home repairs you can do yourself while you're at it.
We'll be posting updates for you guys every month, so you're aware of the deals going on all year round. If you're curious to see what's coming up, you can always check out our full best time to buy guide to see the entire year at a glance. And, if you know of any deals we didn't mention, share them in the comments below.
Pool icon by DryIcons.
